A report by Public Health England (PHE) that concludes e-cigarettes are much less harmful than cigarettes and do not appear to represent a gateway for young people to smoking was hailed as a “milestone,” by British American Tobacco (BAT).
"The review helps to de-bunk the myths around e-cigarettes and equip adult smokers with the facts they need to make informed choices,” said BAT Chief Scientific Officer Chris Proctor. The report represents “an incredibly important milestone for the e-cigarette industry.”
PHE on 19 Aug published what it described as an expert independent evidence review that concluded e-cigarettes are about 95 per cent less harmful than smoking. “There is no evidence so far that e-cigarettes are acting as a route into smoking for children or non-smokers,” PHE said. Almost 45 per cent of the population does not realise e-cigarettes are much less harmful than smoking, said the agency of the UK Department of Health.